Right-hander Jake Stinnett pitched eight shutout innings of one-hit baseball against Bryant on Feb. 22, 2014.
The Terrapins baseball team has had to deal with one of the more erratic winters in recent memory, even shoveling snow to prepare the field for games. Despite the Terps’ best efforts, there have been cancellations and postponements.
This week, the Terps canceled today’s game because of expected subfreezing temperatures. So when the Terps open a three-game series against Massachusetts tomorrow, they will be playing their eighth game, three fewer than they were originally scheduled to play.
“It’s baseball, so you got to be flexible with it,” center fielder Charlie White said. “It’s supposed to be mid-20s [today], so you can’t really play baseball in that weather.”
Right-hander Jake Stinnett said there have been more early-season cancellations and postponements this season than in any of his three previous seasons.
Still, coach John Szefc had no reservations about canceling the series opener. Once he saw today’s forecast, he called Minutemen coach Mike Stone and told him it was too cold to play.
The Terps canceled last Friday’s game against Bryant after melted snow created a soggy outfield, a problem only aggravated by afternoon rain on game day.
The Terps still practiced, though, and likely will have an extra practice today.
“Obviously I want to play, but it’s not throwing off my [pitching] schedule too much,” Stinnett said.
Despite the cancellations, the Terps will still play a full schedule. Szefc is already looking to add two midweek games in March or April to make up for the two cancellations.
That means the Terps will have a few more busy weeks, such as next week when they play five games in seven days in three different cities.
Originally, the Terps were supposed to play just one midweek game next week, but after a Feb. 18 game against Rider was postponed because of snow, they rescheduled it for Wednesday.
The Terps still have a crowded weekend despite Friday’s cancellation. For the second week in a row, they will have a Saturday doubleheader. Barring any rescheduled games, this will also be the last doubleheader of the season.
“Doubleheaders — they’re either great or they’re either bad depending on how you’re feeling that day,” White said. “If you’re feeling good at the plate, it’s the best thing out there.”
This weekend will also be the Terps’ last nonconference weekend series, as they start conference play in a week at Florida State.
The Terps opened the season against Florida and Bryant, both NCAA tournament teams last season, but Massachusetts will be the their second straight opponent that failed to post a winning record last spring.
“We’ll probably keep taking looks at different lineups,” Szefc said. “Our guys have been playing well; it’s just a matter of keeping them sharp.”
Third baseman Kyle Convissar, who was injured to start the season, could make his first appearance this weekend. Convissar, who switched from second to third base this offseason, saw his first live pitching yesterday in an intrasquad scrimmage.
Convissar hit .325 last season, good for 17th in the ACC, and posted the team’s second-highest on-base percentage (.427).
This weekend is an opportunity for the Terps to test different lineups a week before they begin their quest to end an eight-year ACC tournament drought. The Terps, coming off a 13-6 victory at James Madison on Tuesday, hope to put together another complete performance.
“I think we’ll get more and more productive offensively as our guys accrue more and more at-bats,” Szefc said. “Hopefully our starting pitching will continue to do what it’s done.”
